Cooking stove



April 1, 952 c. CORNELIUS 2,590,942

' COOKING STOVE Filed Sept. 15, 1948 mvmw @5 INVENTOR.

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A, l me/VEN Patented Apr. '1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COKING STOVE i Carroll Cornelius, Seattle, Wash. Application September 13, 1948, SeralANo. 49,010

l Claim.

l This invention relatesto cooking stoves and has reference more particularly to improve- Vments in stoves of that kind, or type, disclosed in United States v Patent 2,015,856, issued on Octoberl, 1935, to Anthony L. Lang; it being theprincipal object of the invention to provide an improvement in such stoves that adapts them especially for the 'frying of meats, and particularly for the frying of chicken. "Furthermora'to provide such improved stoves that are suited for homeuse as well as for use in the kitchens of public service places such as restaurants, hotels and the like.

More specifically stated, the objects ofthe present invention reside in the provision of a stove having a flat top plate, on whichthe meat orthe like to be fried is placed, and which top plate is equippedrabout its yperipheral edges withA upstanding walls or flanges to provide a shallow container or, in effect, a fry-pan, and towhich pan a cover or lid of a novel kind is hingedly attached so that it may be swung vertically between closed and opened positions, and which, on its under side,ris equipped with means which provides for the self-basting of the meat as it is fried.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fry-pan lid with a novel arrangement of crossed ribs or flanges on its under side which, during the frying of meats in the pan, causes vapors to be collected and to be formed into droplets, and to release these droplets, to baste the meat as it is cooked.

' Still furtherobjects of the invention reside in the details of construction of the cover or lid and its combination and relationship with the other parts of the stove aswill hereinafter be fully described. Y

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveiprovided the improved detailsof construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- I Fig. lis a perspective View of a stove in which the'improvements of the present invention have been embodied; the cover, or lid, of the fry-pan being shown in opened position.

Fig. 2. is a side View of the stove with parts thereof broken away and in vertical section 'for better understanding, and showing the lidl or cover in closed position. A

Fig. 3 4is a` similar, front view of the-stove, showing the lid or coverin closed position.

,is a vertical, sectional view of the' lid, or cover, in its ,opened position, and illustrating the 2 sloping of the horizontal ribs on the under side of the lid for draining the grease therefromI into the fry pan.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a corner portion of the lid, showing the crossing of ribs on its under side and the drip points on the ribs. i

Referring more in detail yto the drawings- VThe stove, as herein shown, comprises a rectangular, box-like body frame I0, equipped atits four lower corners with leg formingportions I I. The rectangular frame comprises vertical Opf posite side walls I 2-I2 and front andback Walls I3I4, each of which walls is provided along its top edge with an inturned flange I5, as shown best in Fig. 2; all iianges being in the same horizontal plane. f Y i VSeated upon the housing and resting on the flanges I5 of the side and end walls, is the top plate I6. This is formed with depending flanges I1 about its peripheral edges which closely receive the fianged top edges of the walls of the housing therein. Formed on the under side of the plate I6, and spaced inwardly from the outer flanges Il and parallel therewith, are flanges I8 ofgreater depth, and confined within the area defined by these latter flanges are electrical heating elements, as designated at I9 in Fig. 1. These are supported closely adjacent the under side of the plate I6 for heating it. Preferably, heating elements as described in the above vmentioned patent to Lang-would be employed.

= standing lwalls 20 which, together with the plate I6, form a shallow fry-pan in which the cooking of meats, and the like, may be accomplished.

'For the frying of chicken, the walls 20 would be about two and one-half to three inches high. The plate I6 preferably would be about eighteen inches square, and stovesl embodying Ione or more of the units as above described could be employed as is now anticipated for use Ain, restaurants and public service eating places. It is desirable, or most practical that when so used, each top plate or unit should have an individual heating means and a control therefor so that one or more might be used, as required or desired. .A

When the individual units are electrically heated, each would have an individual control switch for its current as designated at 25. Likewise, if stoves are gas heated, each would have an individual heat control means.

Hinged to the vertical flange or wall 20 that extends along the back side of the fry-pan, is a lid, or cover, 30 with improvements embodied by this invention. This lid is provided at the hinged edge, near its corners, with extending legs or lugs 3l, formed with rounded end portions 32 that are pivotally seated in upwardly opening sockets 34 formed in the top surfaces of lugs 35 xed on the rear wall as noted in Figs. 2 and 4. At its outer edge. the lid is equipped with a handle 36 which may be of any suitable kind, suitable for opening or closing the lid. When the lid is opened, it is slightly rearwardly inclined and is supported there, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4, by a chain, or cord, as at 40, or by other suitable means. When in closed position, the plate I6 ts against the top edges of the pan walls 20 in a close, steam-tight joint as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Formed on the under-side of the lidor cover is a succession of evenly spaced cross-ribs 4I, and also there is alike succession of evenly spaced ribs 42 at right angles to the direction of ribs 4l, the two sets of ribs, 4| and 42, together forming successive rows of rectangular pockets orcompertinents 45, as shown best in Fig. 1. The ribs are so spaced and are of such depthA that they provide, over the under side of plate I6, pockets about one inch deep, and about 21A to 2'1/2 inches in width and length. When the cover is closed over the pan, the pockets all open downwardly as understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

At each of the points -of intersection of the crossed ribs, there is provideda small depending protuberance 50, shown best inFig. f5; These are directed downwardly when the lid is closed, and provide drip points for condensed or collected liquid vapors These, being spaced apart and over the entire Yunderfarea of the lid, provide for even and effective self-basting of cookingmeats.

Another feature of the inventioirresides in the fact that thecross ribs 4 l which extend horizontally when the lid is in opened position, are downwardly inclined, ashas been shownin Fig. 4, and the .shape is such that each will drain the grease or .liquid that collects thereon before it cools` and solidies, onto the next. lower rib. The lowermostr cross rib of the series is of such exterior Width or depth that it will substantially overhang the'rear wall of the pan when the lid is opened and no grease will be drained therefrom tothe outside of the pan. This has been llustratedin Figui.

While I have shown the stove to be square or rectangular inform, it is to be understood that it canbe, and it is anticipated that such stoves shall l be, made in oval, round or rectangular form-and also on fry pans, kettles, pots or ovens of other' kinds-and serve inthe same capacity for the selfbasting Vof the food being cooked. The feature of this vlid is the formation of pockets byy the crossed ribs; the provision Yof the drip points at the .points of intersection of ribs, and the Yinclining of the cross ribs for drainage purposes` It-s not intended to restrict use of the present cover to stoves of any specic form orkind, nor `that the fry pan withcover of the kind shown be limited to any specific shape or .size of stove.

To use the present type of stove for chicken frying, the chicken is placed in the pan, as for frying in the usual Way. The lid or cover is then closed and the chicken fried for about fifteen minutes. Then the lid is raised and the pieces are turned over. Then the lid is again closed and the chicken allowed to fry for about ten to fifteen minutes more. Heat is then turned off and lid raised to open position.

During cooking, the steam, grease or vapors arising from the meat will be trapped in the pockets 45 and condensed on the ribs. It is then caused to drop from the protuberances 50 onto the meat. In this way, the meat will be kept well basted at all times. No vapors, avors or odors escape from the pan during cooking.

When the lid is raised, all grease will quickly drain from the pockets of the cover, into the pan before having'tim'e to solidify in the pockets.

While I have described this stove as being especially designed for the frying of chicken, it is to be understood that it has other practical uses; forexample, with the lid in the .raised position, the vtop plate can be used for tne cooking of hotcakes or the like. Also, the device can be used for the warming or baking of buns.

Having vthus described my invention, what I claim-as new therein and desire to secure bYLetters Patent is:

In a stove for frying meats having a fiat top plate providing a frying' surface, and enclosing walls extending upwardly from the periphery thereof to provide a pan-like container of'su'bstantial depthi a iiat lid hinged at one edge 'to the container, to close tightly thereover-and adapted to be lifted to a substantially upright open position; said cover having a vplurality of -thin vilat ribs formed across its under surface, in spaced relationship and parallel with the hinge axis Aof the lid, and having-other ribs crossed therewith and dividingthe ribbed areafof the'lid into a plurality of individual pockets for the collection and'condensation of cooking vapors therein, and from which ribs the condensed vapors rwill vbe caused to drip when the lid is closed; those ribs which are parallel with the hinge axis being inclined relative to the lid to slope downwardly'and vaway from the lid to cause theV draining'of lcondensed vapors therefrom and their return into the vcontainer when the lid is supported in its open position.

CARROLL CORNELIUS.'

REFERENCESv CITED The following references `are-of record vin the lrlle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PMENTSY Number Name Date 246,194 Patton- .Aug.23, .1881 426,712 Carpenter Apr. .'29, 1890 427,671 Carpenter May 13, 1890 498,569 Peterson Le- May 30,1893 991,162 McLaughlin May 2, 1911 1,249,023 Busse Dec. 4, 1917 1,275,611 Schwab Aug. 13, 1918 1,330,209 MaS'sing.- Feb. 10,1920 1,336,734 De Graff Apr. 13, 1920 1,409,262 Wagnerv .Mar. 14, 1922 1,413,579 Gill Apr, 25, 1922 2,040,479 Glore May 12, 1936 2,205,160 Trackwell ,June 18,V 1940 2,358,452 Garstang Sept. 19. 1944 `FGREIG PATENTS yNumber Country bate.

764,152 France May 16, 1934 

